Kaup: Health and Family Welfare Minister and Udupi district in-charge minister U T Khader Fareed has directed officials to respond immediately to hardships caused by heavy rainfall and natural calamities and ensure that relief and compensation reach affected people without delay.
Chairing a review meeting on natural disaster management at the Kaup taluk office on Friday, August 7, Khader instructed grassroots-level officials to visit affected locations immediately whenever there is loss of life, damage to houses or other property losses caused by heavy rains.
He stressed that officials must respond with sensitivity and ensure that affected families receive timely assistance and are able to rebuild their lives with dignity.
Rs 5,500 relief for flood-affected families
Khader directed officials to provide Rs 5,500 in immediate relief to families whose household articles, bedding and food stocks have been damaged due to flooding.
He emphasised that relief measures should not be delayed by procedural hurdles and that officials must assess damage promptly.
The minister said government representatives at the grassroots level have a responsibility to ensure that people affected by natural disasters receive the assistance they are entitled to at the earliest.
He also directed officials to make effective use of funds available in the Kaup tahsildar’s Personal Deposit (PD) account for relief and other urgent requirements.
Crop losses to be surveyed
Reviewing the agricultural situation, Khader noted that paddy cultivation remains a major agricultural activity in Kaup taluk.
Paddy transplantation has been completed across approximately 2,020 hectares. However, erratic weather conditions and heavy rainfall have resulted in crop damage in several areas.
He said re-sowing in affected fields would continue until August 20 and instructed officials to conduct an accurate assessment of crop losses.
The findings should be submitted to the government at the earliest so that appropriate assistance can be considered for affected farmers.
The minister also expressed concern over the possibility of diseases affecting areca nut and other horticultural crops due to prolonged rainfall.
He directed the horticulture department to assist farmers by ensuring that the required pesticides are available.
More farmers urged to take crop insurance
Khader highlighted the growing participation of farmers in horticultural crop insurance schemes.
As many as 19,236 farmers in Udupi district have insured their horticultural crops this year, an increase of 7,690 farmers compared with the previous year.
While welcoming the increase, the minister called for greater awareness among farmers so that more cultivators can protect their crops against losses caused by adverse weather and other risks.
Officials were asked to strengthen awareness efforts and encourage eligible farmers to make use of available crop insurance schemes.
Unsafe school buildings to be repaired
The minister also reviewed the condition of schools in Kaup taluk and directed officials to prioritise repairs to unsafe classrooms and other structures.
Of the 660 classrooms in 200 schools across the taluk, 91 classrooms require repairs, according to the review.
Khader instructed officials to complete the repair works at the earliest and ensure that unsafe classrooms are not used for teaching.
He also directed authorities to prevent students from entering dilapidated buildings and damaged compound walls located near school premises, stressing that precautionary measures are necessary to prevent accidents during the monsoon.
Quality checks ordered for school supplies
Khader reviewed the distribution of textbooks, uniforms and other materials to students and directed officials to ensure that only quality-checked shoes and socks are distributed.
He said substandard supplies should be rejected rather than distributed to students.
The minister also directed district food safety authorities to conduct regular inspections of food, eggs and milk supplied to children through Anganwadi centres.
The quality of food supplied to children, he said, must be monitored regularly to safeguard their health and well-being.
Roads damaged by heavy rainfall
Heavy rainfall has damaged several roads across the district, prompting Khader to direct the concerned agencies to take up restoration works on priority.
Officials from the panchayat engineering department, Public Works Department and National Highways Authority of India were instructed to coordinate repair works and restore smooth traffic movement.
The directions assume added significance as damaged roads have affected daily commuting and public transport in several areas during the monsoon.
Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty also raised concerns over the condition of roads in the taluk during the meeting.
He said several roads had been badly damaged, affecting school bus operations and making it difficult for students to attend classes. He urged the authorities to undertake immediate repairs.
163 electricity poles damaged
Khader said heavy rain and strong winds had damaged 163 electricity poles, resulting in estimated losses of Rs 31.71 lakh.
He directed officials of Mescom to restore disrupted power supply without delay.
In view of staff shortages during the monsoon, he instructed Mescom to engage contract linemen wherever necessary to speed up restoration work.
He also directed the utility to ensure that its 24×7 helplines remain functional so that residents can register complaints and officials can coordinate restoration efforts promptly.
Gurme Suresh Shetty highlighted the shortage of Mescom personnel and said power outages during the monsoon often continue until the following afternoon, causing considerable hardship to residents.
Dangerous trees to be removed
The minister also stressed the need to identify and remove dangerous trees on priority to prevent accidents during periods of heavy rain and strong winds.
He directed officials from the Forest Department, gram panchayats and urban local bodies to coordinate and complete the removal of hazardous trees without delay.
Such preventive measures, he said, are necessary to protect residents, motorists and pedestrians, particularly during severe weather.
Officials told to ensure people-friendly governance
Describing government officials as the “face of the government”, Khader urged them to discharge their responsibilities efficiently at the grassroots level.
He called for people-friendly governance and instructed officials to ensure that citizens receive timely responses and assistance during emergencies.
The minister said effective coordination between different departments would be essential to deal with the continuing impact of heavy rainfall and minimise inconvenience to the public.
Khader inspects coastal erosion
After the review meeting, Khader visited the coastal erosion-hit area near the Kaup lighthouse and inspected the situation.
He assessed the impact of the erosion and reviewed the situation with officials and local representatives accompanying him.
The minister was accompanied during the inspection by Coastal Development Board chairman M A Gafur, Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, District Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T K, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Prateek Bayal, Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar and State KPCC Campaign Committee president Vinay Kumar Sorake, among others.
The review comes amid continuing monsoon-related challenges across Udupi district, with authorities facing the dual task of providing immediate relief to affected families and repairing infrastructure damaged by heavy rain.
Khader’s directions focused on quick disaster response, restoration of essential services, protection of students and farmers, and preventive measures to reduce risks during the ongoing monsoon.